Getting There
Flights leave the airport (Dandong Jichang), 13km (8 miles) west of town, for Shanghai (Tues and Sat) and Shenzhen (Tues and Sat). Purchase tickets at the CAAC ticket office (Minhang Shoupiao Chu; tel. 0415/221-7999; Mon-Sat 8-11:30am and 1-4:30pm) at Jinshan Dajie 50 (intersection with San Wei Lu). The airport shuttle (30 min.; ¥5) leaves from the CAAC office 2 hours before each flight. By taxi, it's a 20-minute ride for ¥40.
Dandong's railway station is on Shi (10) Wei Lu, on the western edge of town. Trains go to Beijing (6:31pm; 14 hr.; ¥263), Shenyang (three daily; 3 1/2 hr.; ¥24), Dalian (8:36pm; 11 hr.; ¥110), and Changchun (6:47am; 9 3/4 hr.; ¥89). International train go to Pyongyang daily (¥180); tickets are available in the CITS foreign office (tel. 0415/213-2237; Mon-Fri 8:30-11am and 1:30-5pm). The office is located in the double-spired Shuangxing Dasha across from the station.
The long-distance bus station (tel. 0415/213-4571) is across the street from the railway station, at the corner of Shi Wei Lu and Gong'an Jie, with coaches to Shenyang (4 hr.; ¥69) and Tonghua (¥54), and Dalian express buses (Dalian Kuai Ke; 7:35am, 8:30am, 12:30pm, and 1:50pm; 4 hr.; ¥87).
Visitor Information
For tourist complaints, call tel. 0415/314-7937.
Getting Around
Most of Dandong lies north of a V formed by the Yalu Jiang and the train tracks. Shi Wei Lu follows the tracks to the Yalu Jiang Gongyuan, facing North Korea. Taxis are ¥5 for the first 2km and ¥2/km thereafter.
Fast Facts
Banks, Foreign Exchange & ATMs -- Cash and traveler's checks can be exchanged from 8am to 4pm inside the Bank of China branch at Jinshan Dajie 60 (at its intersection with Er Wei Lu; Mon-Fri 7:30-5pm). A 24-hour international ATM is located at the bank's entrance.
Internet Access -- The 24-hour Wuxian Wangyuan is on Shiyi (11) Jing Jie, north of Liu (6) Wei Lu. It charges ¥3 per hour. Dial-up is tel. 96163.
Post Office -- The main post office, open from 8am to 5:30pm, is on the corner of Qi (7) Wei Lu and Qi Jing Jie.
Visa Extensions -- For visa extensions, go to room 112 of the main PSB office at Jiangcheng Dajie 15, behind Shuangxing Dasha (tel. 0415/210-3393; Mon-Fri 8am-noon and 1:30-5:30pm). You'll have to show a hotel registration card and proof that you have $100 per day of the extension.
Border Crossing: North Korea & Russia
At press time, United States citizens were not allowed to travel from Dandong to North Korea. CITS in Dandong can arrange tours for other nationalities, but independent Beijing-based operations like foreign-run Koryo Tours (www.koryogroup.com) can also pick you up in Dandong, charge roughly the same rates, and have more experience with foreigners. The paperwork takes 2 weeks to process.
Crossing the border from Dongbei into Russia, either on the Trans-Siberian train or at one of the border posts in Heilong Jiang and Inner Mongolia, is easier but also requires a visa. Tourist visas can usually only be arranged at the Russian Embassy in Beijing. Keep in mind you'll have to arrange for a Chinese double-entry visa if you plan to come back to China from either country.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
